Anyway, you may or may not recall (since it's been roughly 2 years now) that Nate and I previously would randomly choose a country, cook a traditional dish and teach each other about the history and culture of the country chosen. My last country was Nigeria. Unfortunately this practice fell by the wayside but I figured while in COVID-induced Hell, why not bring it back!?
Last night I made Brazilian Fish Stew and Brazilian Limeade - both dishes that can be found around the country.
Brazilian Fish Stew
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| Brazilian Fish Stew with Cilantro Lime Rice and Brazilian Lemonade |
1 Lime, juiced
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 lb Tilapia, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Broth:
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and sliced
2 Serrano Peppers, cut into half moons
14 oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
14 oz Can Full Fat Coconut Milk
1 C Vegetable Stock
1 1/2 Tsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Paprika
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Lime, juiced
3 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Marinate tilapia cubes with 1 Tbsp olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Cover marinating fish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, heat a skillet over medium heat and cook fish in 1 Tbsp olive oil for 3 minutes. Remove fish from skillet and set aside.
In a stockpot over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in oil for 3 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add peppers to stockpot and cook for 5 minutes.
Add liquids to the pot and bring to a simmer. Season with sugar, cumin, paprika and salt. Cover the broth with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened.
Once the broth has thickened, add tilapia back to the pot and cook for an additional 2 minutes to heat the fish through.
Add fresh lime juice and cilantro to the pot right before serving.
Serve the stew over a scoop of Cilantro Lime Rice (recipe to follow).
The stew is definitely not lacking in flavor! It is very fresh, slightly spicy, smoky and not at all fishy! Great for a hot summer day or could be equally delicious in fall or winter!
Cilantro Lime Rice
4 C Water
2 C Jasmine Rice
2 Tsp Salt
2 Limes, juiced
1/2 C Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Bring water to a boil over high heat and add dry rice to the pot. Cover with a lid, drop heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until all water is absorbed.
Once the rice is fully cooked and fluffy, add salt, lime juice and cilantro and stir to combine. Taste check and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Since no dinner is complete without a beverage, I made Brazilian Lemonade!
Brazilian Lemonade
4 Limes, skins scrubbed and cut into 1/8ths
6 C Water
1 C Sugar
6 Tbsp Sweetened Condensed Milk
In the cup of a blender, combine 1/2 the limes, water and sugar and blend for 2 minutes. Repeat until all ingredients have been blended. I had to do 2 batches of blending.
Using a sieve, strain the blender contents over a pitcher and push with a spoon to get all the juice out of the limes. Discard excess pulp and skins. Repeat this step until all ingredients have been strained.
Stir sweetened condensed milk into pitcher and taste. Add more condensed milk if too tart.
Now you may be thinking, why is this called "lemonade" if there are no lemons involved? After research, I really can't figure out why it's not called limeade?
The addition of the sweetened condensed milk makes this drink frothy and almost smoothie-like. It tastes like summer in a glass and was the perfect pairing to cool down the spicy and (temperature) hot stew!
Nate picked his country after we finished eating dinner - Armenia. I can't wait to see what he decides to make for us and to learn more about the country.
To finish us off, find an oldie but goodie link to Mushroom Philly Cheesesteaks! This is probably one of my favorite dinners to make on a time crunch, it's filling and absolutely delectable.
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| Mushroom Philly Cheesesteaks with frozen seasoned fries |
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